This is page numbers 1 - 15 of the Hansard for the 13th Assembly, 2nd Session. The original version can be accessed on the Legislative Assembly's website or by contacting the Legislative Assembly Library. The word of the day was community.

Floyd Roland

Floyd Roland Inuvik

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My question is directed to the Minister of Health and Social Services on the amalgamation of Health and Social Services at the community level. I would like to know if he has any plans in place and if he can share those with me so I can take them back to the concerned community groups back home in Inuvik. Thank you.

The Speaker Samuel Gargan

Thank you. Minister of Health and Social Services, Mr. Ng.

Return To Question 11-13(2): Amalgamation Of Health And Social Services At Community Level
Question 11-13(2): Amalgamation Of Health And Social Services At Community Level
Item 6: Oral Questions

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Kelvin Ng Kitikmeot

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the department is working on some plans with respect to consolidation, not only at the regional level but also at the community level. I will be ready to report back to the committees and back to this House once the business plans come forward with the budget on how we're going to proceed with the amalgamation. Thank you.

Return To Question 11-13(2): Amalgamation Of Health And Social Services At Community Level
Question 11-13(2): Amalgamation Of Health And Social Services At Community Level
Item 6: Oral Questions

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The Speaker Samuel Gargan

Thank you. Item 6, oral questions. Mr. Erasmus.

Roy Erasmus Yellowknife North

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My question is again directed to the Minister responsible for recreation. On further contemplation of the information that we received, it seems that the qualifications for residency of the Northwest Territories are a bit convoluted, and perhaps are not as stringent and concise as they should be. For instance, if a person moves here from Alberta today, they can walk in and get a driver's licence from the Northwest Territories. So that really has no bearing on whether a person is a resident of the

Northwest Territories or not. I would ask that...Assuming that Mr. Miltenberger is not successful in shutting down the Winter Games, can we get a change in the regulations so that the people have some very good things to follow when they're trying to determine if a person is a resident of the Northwest Territories, please?

The Speaker Samuel Gargan

Minister of Municipal and Community Affairs, Mrs. Thompson.

Return To Question 12-13(2): Clarifying Residential Requirements For Awg Participants
Question 12-13(2): Clarifying Residential Requirements For Awg Participants
Item 6: Oral Questions

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Manitok Thompson Aivilik

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I'll look into the Members' request. Thank you.

Return To Question 12-13(2): Clarifying Residential Requirements For Awg Participants
Question 12-13(2): Clarifying Residential Requirements For Awg Participants
Item 6: Oral Questions

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The Speaker Samuel Gargan

Thank you. Item 6, oral questions. Mr. Krutko.

David Krutko

David Krutko Mackenzie Delta

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My question is to the Minister of Health and Social Services with regard to the matter of members of bands who are registered Indians under the band list may live in southern Canada for educational reasons, health reasons or what not who may have passed on. Basically, the cost of transferring people back to their communities for burials seem to be a real concern to a lot of my members, especially in the Mackenzie Delta. A lot of people have been moved to southern institutions with TB and other things in the past; in which, they may reside there, but the family is originally from places like Arctic Red, Fort McPherson or Aklavik. We would like to know if the Minister can look into revisiting this issue with regard to transferring people's bodies from southern Canada for burial in the North who are registered Indians.

The Speaker Samuel Gargan

Minister of Health and Social Services, Mr. Ng.

Return To Question 13-13(2): Transporting Deceased Registered Indians From Southern Canada To Home Communities
Question 13-13(2): Transporting Deceased Registered Indians From Southern Canada To Home Communities
Item 6: Oral Questions

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Kelvin Ng Kitikmeot

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I guess the issue would depend on why that individual was down south to begin with. If it was an individual who was there for medical treatment or who passed away while they were down south for that treatment, then we would be obligated, of course, to bring that individual back to the Territories. If the individual were down there on their own; decided to move down outside of the Territories and were to pass away, then I would not feel there would be an obligation of this government to bring that person's remains if they were to be deceased, no matter where they originated from.

Having said that though, Mr. Speaker, I will look into what's in the policy right now and go over the issue with the Member. Thank you.

Return To Question 13-13(2): Transporting Deceased Registered Indians From Southern Canada To Home Communities
Question 13-13(2): Transporting Deceased Registered Indians From Southern Canada To Home Communities
Item 6: Oral Questions

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The Speaker Samuel Gargan

Thank you. Supplementary, Mr. Krutko.

Supplementary To Question 13-13(2): Transporting Deceased Registered Indians From Southern Canada To Home Communities
Question 13-13(2): Transporting Deceased Registered Indians From Southern Canada To Home Communities
Item 6: Oral Questions

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David Krutko

David Krutko Mackenzie Delta

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My question is with regard to the whole question not of residency, but the question about bands, being a registered Indian based on a band list. If you're registered anywhere in Canada, you have to be associated with a band. I think it may not have been taken into consideration when that program was cut out because we do have a lot of people who are registered, either through land claim agreements or through a band list, as registered Indians to a band in Arctic Red River or Tsiigehtchic or Fort McPherson or Aklavik. I'm saying that I think that should be seriously considered when we make the statement that these people are not residents of the Northwest Territories, but technically they are because they are registered under a band list. I think that has to be seriously looked at.

Supplementary To Question 13-13(2): Transporting Deceased Registered Indians From Southern Canada To Home Communities
Question 13-13(2): Transporting Deceased Registered Indians From Southern Canada To Home Communities
Item 6: Oral Questions

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The Speaker Samuel Gargan

Thank you. Mr. Ng.

Further Return To Question 13-13(2): Transporting Deceased Registered Indians From Southern Canada To Home Communities
Question 13-13(2): Transporting Deceased Registered Indians From Southern Canada To Home Communities
Item 6: Oral Questions

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Kelvin Ng Kitikmeot

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, with respect to the obligation of this government for band members, I'm not exactly sure if that's within the realm of responsibilities of Health and Social Services. I might suggest that it might be better handled by the Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs. If the honourable Member is speaking with respect to medical patients who are band members, then I can speak to that issue. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Further Return To Question 13-13(2): Transporting Deceased Registered Indians From Southern Canada To Home Communities
Question 13-13(2): Transporting Deceased Registered Indians From Southern Canada To Home Communities
Item 6: Oral Questions

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The Speaker Samuel Gargan

Thank you. Supplementary, Mr. Krutko.

Supplementary To Question 13-13(2): Transporting Deceased Registered Indians From Southern Canada To Home Communities
Question 13-13(2): Transporting Deceased Registered Indians From Southern Canada To Home Communities
Item 6: Oral Questions

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David Krutko

David Krutko Mackenzie Delta

The question I was looking at, Mr. Speaker, is with regard to people who are deceased due to cancer, a disease or what not. I think that was what I was basically relating my question to.

Supplementary To Question 13-13(2): Transporting Deceased Registered Indians From Southern Canada To Home Communities
Question 13-13(2): Transporting Deceased Registered Indians From Southern Canada To Home Communities
Item 6: Oral Questions

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The Speaker Samuel Gargan

Mr. Ng.

Further Return To Question 13-13(2): Transporting Deceased Registered Indians From Southern Canada To Home Communities
Question 13-13(2): Transporting Deceased Registered Indians From Southern Canada To Home Communities
Item 6: Oral Questions

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Kelvin Ng Kitikmeot

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I said earlier and I guess I'll say it again, if the individual is out for medical treatment and were to become deceased at that time, then it would be the responsibility of our government to bring that person back. If that person was out there as a band member who didn't reside in the Northwest Territories who happened to be deceased, having chosen to live down south, then I don't feel that it would be an obligation of our government to bring that person back no matter where they originated from or what band they belonged to, Mr. Speaker. Thank you.

Further Return To Question 13-13(2): Transporting Deceased Registered Indians From Southern Canada To Home Communities
Question 13-13(2): Transporting Deceased Registered Indians From Southern Canada To Home Communities
Item 6: Oral Questions

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The Speaker Samuel Gargan

Thank you. Item 6, oral questions. Mr. Barnabas.

Levi Barnabas High Arctic

(Translation) Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I'll speak in Inuktitut at this time. I have a question to be directed to Mr. Stephen Kakfwi, the honourable Minister of the Department of Justice. Probably two months ago, he said he would try to look into getting an RCMP detachment in Arctic Bay. The mayor wrote to the Department of Justice and has not received an answer, Mr. Speaker.

The Speaker Samuel Gargan

Mr. Kakfwi.

Return To Question 14-13(2): Request For Rcmp Detachment In Arctic Bay
Question 14-13(2): Request For Rcmp Detachment In Arctic Bay
Item 6: Oral Questions

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Stephen Kakfwi

Stephen Kakfwi Sahtu

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The Department of Justice, as are other departments, is in the process of developing finalized business plans to present to the House in late April or some time in May. Those will contain what we will propose to spend, for instance, in the area of policing in the coming year. Until we've completed that, we are unable to respond. If the mayor from the Member's constituency has not received the courtesy of a reply, then I will ensure that is done right away. But until the budget is finalized, we are unable to give any definitive statements to communities that are requesting additional RCMP, or just the presence of RCMP where there are presently none. Thank you.

Return To Question 14-13(2): Request For Rcmp Detachment In Arctic Bay
Question 14-13(2): Request For Rcmp Detachment In Arctic Bay
Item 6: Oral Questions

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The Speaker Samuel Gargan

Thank you. Item 6, oral questions. Mrs. Groenewegen.

Jane Groenewegen

Jane Groenewegen Hay River

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I'll be directing my question to the Minister responsible for the Liquor Commission. Based on some research that I had the research department undertake for me -- which indicated that per capita, residents of the Northwest Territories consume more alcohol than anyone else in Canada -- based on their statistics, I have learned that the vast majority of residents of the North who are incarcerated in the corrections facilities are there on alcohol-related offences. I would like to ask the Minister responsible for the Liquor Commission if this government subsidizes the distribution of alcohol in the Northwest Territories.